School children take over Lincoln Cathedral

Pupils from Sir Francis Hill Community Primary School were given an insight into the working world as they joined employees at Lincoln Cathedral as part of Takeover Day.

Organised by Kids in Museums, an independent charity dedicated to making museums open to all, Takeover Day gives children the opportunity to work alongside staff and volunteers.

The 59 Year 6 pupils, aged 10-11, were given a taste of what it is like to work in various roles within Lincoln Cathedral, including project designers, visitor experience offers, curators, exhibition designers and media crews.

The national event takes place annually and gives children an insight into meaningful roles at museums, galleries, arts organisations, archives and heritage sites across the country.

The takeover at Lincoln Cathedral

The 2018 Lincoln takeover event was shared by the Cathedral, the Castle and The Collection, where children rotated throughout the day.

Sally Bleasdale, education outreach officer at Lincoln Cathedral, said: “Takeover Day is all about inspiring young people and getting them interested in roles within the culture and heritage industry. Lincoln has such a rich history and is the perfect place to host an event like this.

“The children had an incredible chance to see what it would really be like to work at the Cathedral and it was great to see how engaged and excited they all were.

“We were able to show them how rewarding this line of work can be and that although working life can be a challenge, when you do something you love it’s all worth it.”

Duncan Scott, teacher at Sir Francis Primary School, added: “We felt it was fantastic for children to have this experience as many of them thrived in the working environments they were presented with dealing with members of the public. Giving the children this opportunity enabled them to get a feel for working in the real world.”

More information on Takeover Day

Takeover Day was initially launched in 2010 and since then it is believed that nearly 30,000 children and young people have taken part.

Whilst the event helps to give students an insight into working life, it also helps them to develop new skills, increase confidence and can help to change the way they view museums.

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